Glasses
by TheWonderingWizard
Summary: If I gave a description or a premise for this one, it would ruin the story. I saw a plot suggestion on the Harmony & Co Prompt Bank over on Tumblr, and decided to give it a try as a "quickie". Credit goes to @pamraleymoore. My standard disclaimer applies. Allons-y!


Glasses, A Harry Potter fanfiction

By: TheWonderingWizard

Summary: If I gave a description or a premise for this one, it would ruin the story. I saw a plot suggestion on the Harmony & Co Prompt Bank over on Tumblr, and decided to give it a try as a "quickie". Credit goes to  pamraleymoore. My standard disclaimer applies. Allons-y!

_Daily Prophet _Offices

Diagon Alley, London

22nd of June, 1996

Rita Skeeter was at her desk in her office, looking out the window. It was the last day of her ban on writing anything about Harry Potter, or any of his friends. It was the deal that she found herself being forced to make the previous summer. She had been caught by Hermione Granger, that little Muggleborn witch. Unbeknownst to the Ministry of Magic, Rita Skeeter was an Animagus. It was the secret to her success as a journalist. Well, that, and her Quick Quotes Quill. Rita prided herself on always being able to get the latest and juiciest gossip, and sharing it with her adoring public. That old fuddy-duddy, Dumbledore, had tried to ban her, HER, from the grounds of Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. Who did that old goat think he was? The Triwizard was _the_ biggest event to hit Hogwarts in over two centuries. She used every source she'd cultivated in getting her stories on the front page. Then, that Granger girl had discovered her little secret. Rita had been forced into not writing about the Boy-Who-Lived or his little gang for one year. That year ended today, and she needed something juicy to write about.

Rita glanced at the shelves across from her desk, where she kept her collection of accolades, awards, trophies, and celebrity photos. Some of her best pieces were framed and were hanging about the office. There was room on her shelf for another Ossa award, and she was bound to get it thanks to the delicious "takedown" stories she'd done about Hogwarts during the previous school year. Reputations had been ruined, some irreparable so, but a story was a story. She looked out the window again, and nearly dropped her mug of tea when she spotted Harry walking out of Gringotts Bank. Not only that, he was hand-in-hand with a young woman! A closer look revealed the young witch in question to be Hermione Granger! Oh, this could be a juicy piece to land her on the front page again and possibly land her that Ossa trophy for sure! Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had a girlfriend. She grabbed her handbag with her Quick Quotes Quill and parchment notebook already inside. Charming them to fit into the pocket of her robes, she shifted into her beetle form and flew out the open window.

Gringotts Bank

Diagon Alley

Harry had received a letter from Gringotts via owl post the previous day. Harry took one look at the envelope and knew that it would not be good news. The fortnight since Harry and his friends had battled the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries had passed by in a state of shock. He had allowed Voldemort into his mind and show him a false vision. In it, sirius was being held captive by Death Eaters at the Ministry. Harry knew he had to go and save his Godfather. Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil, Elizabeth Collins, and Luna Lovegood all joined him to help out. They flew on Thestrals to London, and managed to get into the Hall of Prophecy. They'd walked right into the trap Voldemort set for them. The fighting had been fierce, and almost all of the students had been injured or wounded. Sirius and a few of the members of the Order of the Phoenix responded to a Patronus message and came to help. Sirius fought against his cousin, Belatrix Lestrange. At one point, she cursed him, and he fell backward through the Veil. He was gone. One of the best friends his parents had ever known, and Harry's godfather, was gone. There'd been another battle, this one between Dumbledore and Voldemort. The Minister of Magic and dozens of Ministry personnel had witnessed it. Now, they believed Harry and Dumbledore when they said Voldemort was back. The group returned to Hogwarts, with Hermione and Elizabeth both under stasis charms to stem the damage caused by the curses they'd taken. After the others had their injuries seen to, the group of friends set up a watch over Hermione and Elizabeth as they recovered. After a week in the Infirmary, they were released. Now Harry was living with the guilt he'd led his friends into a trap, and the loss of a father figure. Harry had spent the previous summer at Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the House of Black. After getting the place looking respectable, Harry and Sirius had one of the best summers either had ever seen.

After receiving the letter at lunch, Harry had walked out of the Great Hall. He'd barely touched his food, something that had been happening a little more often the past couple of weeks. Hermione grabbed some toast and rashers, wrapped them in a napkin, and followed Harry. He was walking in a daze, but his feet carried him to the seventh floor, and the Room of Requirement. After Harry was done walking back and forth three times, thinking of a cosy sitting room, the two friends walked in and sat on the sofa by a large window. The pair of Gryffindors sat in silence, words were not needed. They stared at the heavy parchment envelope, noting the wax seal. Harry decided it was best to get this over with, and opened the letter. It was from Silverstaff, the accounts manager for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. "Dear Mister Harry J Potter. Allow me to offer my heartfelt condolences on the loss of Sirius Orion Black II, recently deceased Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black..." The letter went on to inform Harry that Sirius had penned a Last Will and Testament, and it was to be read the following morning at eleven o'clock in the London branch. As one of the beneficiaries, his presence was being required for the Reading. Hermione had her arm across his shoulders, and was rubbing his right shoulder to give comfort and show her support.

Harry Floo-called Professor McGonagall to get her permission as his Head of House to leave school grounds in order to attend family business. "'Mione, could you come with me? I don't think I can do this without you" Harry said, his emerald eyes gazing into her chocolate brown ones. "Harry, you don't need to ask. I'll go with you. Always" she replied as she took his hand in both of hers. For the first time in many weeks, they could smile, if only for a brief moment. She brought her hand up to his cheek, and wiped a tear away from his eye with her thumb. He began to cry harder, the deep sobs going straight to her heart. Her best friend, her Harry, was hurting. She wrapped her arms around his back, and held him in her famous hug. She held him as they cried together, mourning their mutual loss. They fell asleep, wrapped up in their embrace. Awaking several hours later, they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower and their dormitories. At the foot of the stairs leading to the girls' dorms, Hermione embraced Harry again. There was something different about his returning of the hug, though. He tilted her head up to look into her eyes again, and then touched his lips to hers. "Always?" he asked, after kissing for a few brief seconds. She returned the kiss, deeper this time, fisting her hands in the robes on his back. "Always" she replied, leaning her forehead against hers. "Goodnight, 'Mione" he said, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Goodnight, Harry" she replied, returning the squeeze.

The Reading of the Last Will and Testament had been...enlightening, for sure. Sirius had named Harry as his heir, and granted him the title of Lord Black. Harry was shocked, as were the Malfoys. Surely Draco was next in line! Sirius had revealed through his Will that Harry was a direct descendant of Dorea Black, his grandmother and the wife of Charles Potter. Dorea Potter nee Black was the older sister of Cyril Black, the father of Sirius and Regulus. Malfoy was the first male heir born to a cousin of Cyril Black, so his claim to the title and estate was weaker than the one given to Harry. Harry was given instructions to cast Narcissa Malfoy nee Black out of the House of Black. In one stroke of ink of parchment, Lucius Malfoy lost access to the Black fortune. He was bankrupted in an instant, and the three Malfoys were escorted out of Gringotts. Sirius had also given sworn testimony in his Will that he was not the Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter, that role was given to Peter Pettigrew. His inheritance in the Will was to be thirty silver Sickles, and not a Knut more. Remus Lupin was given thirty thousand Galleons, and a house in Hogsmeade. Sirius also advised him to find happiness, and find a witch who would love him, even with his "furry little problem". The Reading was concluded, and Harry took up his role as Heir Apparent of House Black. Silverstaff also informed him that he was also named Lord Potter, per the Last Will of James and Lily Potter. He was Lord of two Ancient and Most Noble houses, the wizarding equivalent to a duke. Per wizarding law, he would be de facto Lord Potter-Black when he came of age the following summer.

It was time to go back to the Leaky Caldron and then back to her hand, Harry led Hermione out through the bank lobby and back out into the summer sunshine. They walked past Olivander's, then Madam Malkin's, and Flourish and Blotts. When they were almost back at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry heard a sickening crunch from under his boot. He checked under one foot, and there was nothing. Looking under his right heel, he saw the remains of a hard-shelled insect. It was a lurid green colour, perhaps a beetle. The beetle had what looked like square protrusions from its snout. Hermione glanced down to see what her boyfriend was looking at. She blushed a deep pink, putting her hand over her mouth. "Harry, that beetle looks familiar. I think it was the last of its kind. If what I know about that species is right, it is now extinct. Still, those had to be the ugliest glasses that I have ever seen." The realisation hit Harry like a Bludger to the stomach. "You mean, it won't bug us anymore? No nasty gossip articles?" he said, a smile forming on his face. "Nope, no more bugging" she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately.


End file.
